8/30/13

Why Bobbi Kristina Backed OUT of Big Brother!



Why Bobbi Kristina Backed OUT of Big Brother!
Earlier this month Bobbi Kristina Brown signed on to appear on Celebrity Big Brother UK then backed out at the last minute
Insiders say it's because producers wanted her to talk about her mother's death...

According to The National Enquirer “She has her own showbiz aspirations, but this project didn’t seem right for her. She told the producers she wants nothing to do with them.”
Bobbi Kristina was on board until the producers told her they expected her to talk about her drug-plagued mother’s death.
Bobbi Kristina, called Krissy by her family, was so enraged she burst into tears, said an insider. “Krissy yelled at them, ‘Do you want a picture of her naked dead body lying on the hotel’s bathroom floor too?’
“She said she’s trying to move on with her life, and she stormed off.”

Bless her Heart!

Will Smith Ex Wife is Beefing with his CURRENT Wife?


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Will Smith Ex Wife is Beefing with his CURRENT Wife?
Will Smith Ex and Current wife is beefing?  According to Jacky Jasper (HSK) it’s true - That’s what sources say Sheree Fletcher indirectly tweeted to Jada — in retaliation of Mrs. Smith’s apparent Facebook fire at the ‘Hollywood Exes’ cast member.
That’s after Sheree Fletcher seemed to become the center of JPS’ popular “Letter to a Friend” FB column. In the post, Jada address’ what’s said to be Will Smith’s lack of ‘kind or considerate’ manners towards his Hollywood Ex — basically narrowing it down to “the friend” needing to accept it as “a painful truth.” OUCH!!!
Check it:

This isn’t the first time Jada has used social media as a took to take jabs at Sheree. Back in February, this is what JPS posted:

Did Jada once say, “When Will asked me to get married, I said, ‘Understand this, there will be no divorce. So, you might be in one bedroom and I might be in another, but we’re gonna be under the same roof and we’re gonna be married’.”? Of course … Just ask Queen Latifah.

R&B DIVAS Reunion PT#2 DIVA PANDEMONIUM AND CATASTROPHIC MADNESS!!



R&B DIVAS Reunion PT#2 DIVA PANDEMONIUM AND CATASTROPHIC  MADNESS!!
We have a few sneak peek clips from next week's "R&B Divas LA" reunion where Michel'le explains her "fake" marriage to Suge Knight and Kelly Price and Chante Moore discuss those "subliminal threats".  Fans of TV One’s "R&B Divas LA" watched the ladies (minus Kelly Price and Dawn Robinson) engage the audience in their gut-wrenching monologues during last night's season finale, and now it's time for the ladies to reconnect and discuss the past season's drama once again.

Television personality Wendy Williams serves as the no-holds-barred host of the two-part special featuring cast members Kelly Price, Lil’ Mo, Chanté Moore, Michel’le and Claudette Ortiz. In addition to dishing on the premiere season, our sneak peek shows the ladies opening up about what the cameras didn’t show.  Sadly, Dawn Robinson refused to attend the reunion taping. SMH.....maybe she was "booked". 
These Divas stay "busy".....

But anywho, watch Michel'le discuss her fake marriage:


Watch Chante Moore and Kelly Price revist their argument:

Watch Claudette explain how she became homeless:


Part one of the "R&B Divas LA" reunion will air TV One on Sept. 4th at 10pmET. Part two follows on Sept. 11th at 10pmET. H/T YBF

The Daily Buzz for Aug 30



Ciara is interviewed in PAPER Magazine!
In the latest issue of PAPER Magazine "I'm Out" singer Ciara sat for a stylish photoshoot where she evoked a few "punk-meets-Donna-Reed looks" and talked about her close friendship with designer Riccardo Tisci and her work with the Givenchy fashion house (she rocked Givenchy to last night's VMAs).  And if she can't do anything else, this chick can rock a photoshoot.
Also, the "Body Party" singer chatted about making herself more transparent to her fans and shares how her spirituality has allowed her to become more comfortable about her career choices.  Here are the highlights:

On her rapper boyfriend Future:
"He's very understanding. And he's my best friend. It's important to have a feeling that you can talk about anything and know a person's going to be there and support you. When we're together, it's not about who we are. I feel very normal, very safe and loved.

On speaking about her relationship:
"Being able to speak about it is a whole different thing for me. I'm not thinking or caring too much about what anybody has to say anymore. Once you start over-thinking and worrying, you start getting close to insanity. I want my sanity and a life and happiness."

On her style choices:
"I don't wear a dress regularly....but even if I do, you have to put some attitude into it. I like a leather skirt, which gives you some toughness, but a feminine touch too. I like the androgynous thing with a hard edge: I make things rock 'n' roll -- but still pretty."

On her Ciara disc:
"The album is light and upbeat. There's a lot of love in it -- a lot of heart and passion. It reflects the spirit and energy that I'm feeling right now. What people are hearing is my true self-expression and the energy I'm living."

On letting her guard down:
"I thought it was better to be private. You need to live more. If you worry so much about things, your head is going to explode. Just live. Something has to give. I was holding back so much that I wasn't letting myself explore and live."

On the direction of her career:
"I'm making choices I feel good about. It definitely feels good to get love from my fans. I work so hard. I'm hoping to share with other young girls, and even men, to never give up. And I feel like my journey's just beginning. On this journey, there's much I haven't done. I still feel like a little kid. I still have my youthful energy and spirit. I'm super excited by my future."
Cute photoshoot  Fab.



Another Day, Another Chris Brown Twitter Rant!
 NEWS Don’t you just love when Chris Brown goes HAM on twitter? This time his rant was aimed at the “racist a**” Los Angeles District Attorney…who happens to be a Black woman.
Clearly, Breezy is pissed off! It was all good just a week ago when Chris’ hit and run case was dismissed but in order to have his probation reinstated the “Look At Me Now” singer had to agree to do an additional 1,000 hours of community service. Prosecutors believed Brown didn’t complete his initial 180 days of service stemming from his 2009 assault incident with Rihanna.
Brown has to complete his community service in Los Angeles, unlike last time when he had the option of doing it in his hometown in Virginia. Chris’ probation ends in August 2014. h/t Hip Holywood!



Celebs come out to ATL's Peachtree Village International Film Festival
"Treme" star Anthony Anderson was among the celebs seen in Atlanta at The Peachtree Village International Film Festival (PVIFF).
TV personality Joe Clair and actor Darrin Dewitt Henson were on hand to support the festivalthe actors who came out to show off their new projects.
"The Secret Life of the American Teenager" star Camille Winbush did a stroll down the red carpet.  She's growing into such a fab chick.
"RHOA" star and Bar One owner Peter Thomas was there to support the festival. 
PVIFF presented actor Ernest Thomas with the Legendary Award and his "What's Happening!! co-star Danielle Spencer came out to support him.  And we see Danielle "tricked" out her crutches with a faux leopard print and a few sparkles!
And Left's Eye little sister Reigndrop Lopes struck a few poses. Wonder how she feesl about VH1's new TLC movie.....



Singer Jhene Aiko Suffers Broken Wrist & Stitches After Car Accident
This week, the  25-year-old singer Jhene Aiko. was involved in a serious car accident, resulting in her canceling a schedule appearance. The news was shared by a personal friend, who wrote:

Please send my beautiful @JheneAiko some Love. She’s in the hospital from a bad car accident & won’t be able to perform her LSU show on Wed … All she is concerned about is her fans. Send her some encouragement please. We’re all praying @JheneAiko..Update on @JheneAiko: she’s going to be fine, she has a broken wrist & really bruised up and some stitches but keep praying 4 her..
No official comment has yet been shared by Jhene.
Jhene shared the following message:
thank u all for the prayers . I get to go home …. just a broken wrist , chipped tooth and stitches in my chin  most importantly Nami is ok , not a scratch … as she was also in the car , in the backseat with me . I’m also thankful that @sonnieoryan and @miyokochilombo are ok also ! Be safe out there everybody and thank u again for the love



Nicki Minaj VS Iggy Azalea
Look all we do here at The Chronicles is CONJURER! Sometime back in May, Iggy Azalea was asked about Nicki Minaj's album "Pink Friday" in an interview with Sony Digital. And according to Sony, this is what Iggy Azalea had to say below:
"I could see both sides and I’m not saying it has to be that way, but it was very rigid in the way that it flipped between the two [sounds]. I like to make the music flow like a river – I’m like, ‘You have to listen to the album from track one to ten!”

Later, it was reported that Iggy Azalea had got heated with Sony Digital stating that they twisted her words. Fast forward to the present, and Nicki Minaj is featured on a Swizz Beatz track titled "Hands Up" which many are saying is a verse directly aimed at Iggy Azalea.

Take a listen to the song here: 

Hmmm? Could that snow bunny Nicki was referring to be Iggy? Lets no be racist Nicki!



Lady Gaga Stretches in the Nude for Pre-VMA Photos
Indulging her penchant for exhibitionism once again, Lady Gaga posed for a series of pictures prior to her performance at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards
The “Just Dance” singer teamed with famed photographer Terry Richardson for the spread, taken in her dressing room just before she went onstage.
Gaga did her stretching routine in the buff before adjusting her nose ring, dipping her buttocks in gold dust, and getting a warm-up massage.
Meanwhile, the Twitterverse had some harsh comments following Lady Gaga’s rendition of “Applause,” including zingers like, "I once watched my golden retriever get hit by a car. Watching Gaga perform tonight was far worse,” and, "Lady Gaga dances like a drunk chicken who hasn't had sex in two months."
On the harsher side, Gaga also received tweets like, "Didn't Madonna do this same exact same performance twenty years ago?" and, "I thought Gaga was 'born this way.' She certainly didn't mind having a nose and a chin job."



Robin Roberts All Smiles Post Bone Marrow Transplant
Robin Roberts, who underwent a bone marrow transplant late last year, is all smiles in these photographs taken on Thursday evening in Hawaii.
The 52-year-old ‘Good Morning America’ news anchor has been relaxing on her time off at an ocean-side resort in Maui with family and friends. Roberts received a bone marrow transplant from her older sister last September as treatment for the rare blood disease, myelodysplastic syndrome.



Come take a DIP with Trey Songz and The Liquid Sunday Pool Party!
"Neighbors Know My Name" singer Trey Songz hosted Liquid Sundays at Foxwoods Resort Casino. 
Trey, who has released "Sensational" as his latest single, took the time to walk through the crowd and take pictures with his adoring fans.
After mingling with the crowd, Trey stepped to the mic and peformed a few of his hits for the sold out crowd. 
He also showered the guests with champagne.
And of course....you can't see Trey Songz without seeing his abs! 
After performing, he took his shirt off and jumped in the pool.
Trey's Philadelphia fans will be able to catch him performing a free concert as part of Amazon Student’s "Back to College Concert" at the Electric Factory on Thursday, September 12. Photos via Kesha Lambert of Lash to Lens. The YBF



Is Paris Jackson Fends Off Unwanted Advances?
Recently revealed blind item claims Michael Jackson's daughter Paris had been fighting off unwanted advanced from one of her uncles.

According to Crazy Days and Nights:
Blind Items Revealed
June 4, 2013
Everyone thinks this C list celebrity with almost A list name recognition has reunited with someone from her past because of want. It is because of need. For the past year and a half she has been fighting off her uncle. The uncle would just take her out to go shopping, and then would kiss her and hug her at the end of the day. That progressed to taking her to lunch and holding her hand during it or taking her shopping for bras. They have gone to dinner and he even had her spend the night at a hotel room several times. In the past few months as she has matured, his advances have been getting stronger and stronger and she has no choice but to stay away.
Paris Jackson

What do you think?



Eminem Recruits Rick Rubin, Dr. Dre For “MMLP2″
Eminem used last Sunday night’s 2013 MTV VMAs to announce his new album. Slim Shady aired a commercial during the program revealing some info about the upcoming project.

The album is titled MMLP2, and is scheduled to drop on November 5. We’re not rocket scientists, but we assume the title is short for Marshall Mathers LP 2, which would make it a sequel to Em’s critically acclaimed 2000 album, Marshall Mathers LP.

The latest project is being produced by Dr. Dre and Rick Rubin.
Check out the preview commercial: http://www.youtube.com/embed/SBDfRdz6yGI

Okay are you still checking for him?



Jason Derulo & Jordin Sparks getting MARRIED?
Are there Wedding bells in the works for Jason Derulo and Jordin Sparks?
"When the time is right, absolutely. It's all about timing," reveals Jason Derulo in an exclusive interview with HipHollywood.com on whether or not his second single is a precursor to any pending nuptials.
"Marry Me" is a very pull-on-your-heart-strings type of record. Very different from Derulo's "The Other Side" and "Talk Dirty". The song is talking about getting ready for that moment and word is Jordin Sparks will be featured in the video for "Marry Me" which will be taking place in New York City

In the meantime, check out the new joint as well as some other Jason Derulo information when you check it here: 

Jason Derulo's "Tattoos" album is set to be released on September 24th, but fans can pre-order the album when you go (here). 



AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
‘Hey Dude’
Remember when weirdos kept it to themselves and would just be weird in their basement or something? Ahhh those were the good ol’ days huh?



HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND EVERYBODY!!!!!!!!
EFREM

8/28/13

The Daily Buzz for Aug 29



THE LEGENDARY SUPERMODELS REUNITE NAOMI, LINDA, KATE, CHRISTY GET TOGETHER FOR INTERVIEW MAGAZINE
Kate Moss, Linda Evangelista and Naomi Campbell may have made their names in the Nineties, but a new set of magazine covers proves they can still blow the current crop of models out of the water.
The trio join fellow Supers Christy Turlington, Amber Valletta, Stephanie Seymour and Daria Werbowy for a series of seven covers for Interview Magazine's fall fashion issue.
The showstopping images were shot by fashion photographer stars Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, and show each woman both clothed and nude in raw black-and-white images.
She's still got it: Stephanie Seymour, now 45 and a mother-of-four, laments the way actors now land many of the major campaigns and covers that once used to be the sole domain of models
The issue - dedicated to the business of modeling - also sees the seven beauties reflect on their careers over the past two and three decades.
Kate Moss, now 39, says that the first time she went to Paris to walk in a John Galliano show, nobody backstage even realized she was a model.
'All the girls were lined up, and I remember [make-up artist] Stéphane Marais said to me, "Are you in the show?" I said, "Yeah." . . . He's like, "Oh my god, get her done quick." [laughs] I was just sitting there all day. I'd been there since, like, 10 in the morning. They just didn't take me for a model.'
 The usually interview-shy model also spoke about how protective she is of her daughter, Lila, 11, joking that she is going to lock her up when she turns 14. She doesn't expect Lila to become a model anytime soon though.
'At the moment, she's definitely not into that,' she said. 'She's not into having her picture taken. She gets shy.'
That said, Lila does love Instagram - and while Ms Moss largely rejects social media such as Twitter, she does have an Instagram account too, albeit with only 25 followers because she refuses to make her username public.
Stephanie Seymour, now 45 and a mother-of-four, tells Interview about her first shoot - a 'Cosmo Tells All' feature, when she was 14.
'They would take a picture of a girl and then write something like "How do you have the best orgasm?" or "How do you get your hair as big as you want it?" I was the picture of a girl with big hair. . . I remember going to the grocery store before school to get it when it came out. I was so excited.'
She also laments the way actors now land many of the major campaigns and covers that once used to be the sole domain of models.
'I would like to see fewer actors modeling - or if they're going to model to the extent that they are modeling, then I think that models should be actors,' she said.
'Nowadays, if you want to be a model, then you should probably become an actor. That's the only way to get the great campaigns'

Stephanie Seymour
'Nowadays, if you want to be a model, then you should probably become an actor. That's the only way to get hired to do the great advertising campaigns that are really interesting or the magazine covers, and it's hard to build a name for yourself as a model without those things.'
Amber Valletta, too, reflects on the crossover between the two careers and admits she struggled to gain credibility as an actress because she started her career as a model.
'I definitely think that being a model makes it more difficult to be taken seriously,' she said. 'And I understand. I don't take it seriously sometimes. You can't.'
Now 39 and a self-confessed 'hockey mama', Ms Valletta admits that her time as a presenter of MTV's House of Style in 1996 'was not a good period for me, personally.'
She said: 'We'll put it this way, I wasn't always present for that, even though my body was there.'
She reveals she burst into tears on the set of her first job - an advertorial for Vogue Italia - because she didn't know what to do.
Ms Valletta says it was a haircut - a waifish pixie cut no less - that propelled her to new heights in the industry, as her previous bob made her look much older than her then 18 years.
Interview
'I was on castings for the shows, and I bumped into [hairdresser Yannick d'Is] and Ward Stegerhoek - another big-time hairdresser - and they looked at me and said, "Let's cut your hair off.". . . And then literally overnight everything changed. I worked with Steven Meisel within a month and a half and I booked every show.'
Linda Evangelista, 48, was almost put off entirely after getting caught up in a modeling course 'scam' at the age of 16.
'I was chosen by a Japanese agency to go over to Japan for the summer to work. . .,' she recalled. 'It was a catastrophe. They wanted me to take my clothes off and shoot me naked.
'It was a nightmare and I panicked and basically the Canadian Embassy helped me out. I was there about two days and went home, saying, "I don't want anything to do with this ever again.'
'I was chosen to go to Japan to work... It was a catastrophe. They wanted me to take my clothes off and shoot me naked'
Linda Evangelista
She admits that after getting signed to Ford, she and her fellow models all got bedbugs on a trip to Paris, and so her mother had to pay for her to change hotels.
Despite her efforts, she says she 'wasn't an overnight success' and was told that she would last three years if she was lucky.
'I didn't dream higher than what I was doing,' she said. 'I just felt fulfilled that I was working and doing things and being paid for it. I never imagined Vogue or doing Versace. I didn't think I qualified for that.'
Christy Turlington, whose first job was for the Miami department store, Burdines, at the age of 13, had a more gentle introduction to the industry, and recalls how her mother would take her for frozen yogurt before her bookings.
'I started modeling clothes for my age group but quickly moved into doing cosmetic and jewelry ads, which was funny to me at that age,' she said.
Now, at the age of 44, she is still modeling - posing in her underwear for Calvin Klein's latest campaign.
Driven by adventure: Daria Werbowy, 29, says she was always quite a reluctant model - so it comes as some surprise to her that she has ended up doing it so long
'I needed to think seriously about the CK underwear campaign, because I knew it would be everywhere, and I wasn't sure I wanted to be photographed in my underwear now that I'm a mother,' she admitted. 'But I knew the images would be tasteful and I liked the idea of continuing a relationship with a brand that I grew up with.'
But her relationship with the brand has not always been straightforward. When she first signed a contract prohibiting her from working with any other label, in 1988, she felt limited by it.
'I didn't feel that I was given the best advice at the time from my agency and I didn't have my own lawyer,' she said. 'I was young and wasn't ready to be locked up. I made the most of the time, but I missed the pace I was just starting to enjoy.'
Naomi Campbell, 43, who also continues to model today, says that she has been in the industry so long, the fashion world is like a family. For the young faces coming into the industry though, it is a different environment altogether.
'When I started out, there weren't casting directors and there weren't stylists, so you just dealt directly with the designer'
Naomi Campbell
'When I started out modeling, there weren't casting directors and there weren't stylists, so you just dealt directly with the designer,' she said. 'We were all much closer back then . . . we all hung out when we weren't working. . .
She believes young models today are missing that connection with designers, now that they are separated by casting directors and stylists.
She says she owes her success to the support of women including her mother and fellow model Iman and the 'amazing men in [her] life', Gianni Versace and her 'Papa' Azzedine Alaïa.
Of the late Versace, she says, 'Every 15th of July, no matter where I am in the world, I always go to church and light a candle.'
Daria Werbowy, who at 29 is the youngest of Interview's 'iconic' group, says she was always quite a reluctant model - so it comes as some surprise to her that she has ended up doing it so long.
These days, she admits, she is still bemused by her success.
'Sometimes I am still surprised that I'm a model and that people think I'm good-looking,' she says. I've gone through a lot of different phases on what I do and why I do it—morally and ethically. . . I just had to learn to look at it as a job, as opposed to identifying myself as a model and thinking of myself as a part of this industry.'
Today, adventure and travel drive her. Ms Werbowy even sailed across the Atlantic with her family in 2008 - something she says she would 'do again in a heartbeat'.
'My dad. . . found a junkyard boat and restored it, and it was his dream to sail across the Atlantic,' she said. 'So we did. It all came true. We had some funny issues along the way - like, not enough fuel at one point. It was one of the best experiences of my life.'

FAB…


Prince Jackson Rebelling Against the Family
Michael Jackson's teenage son Prince is rebelling against the Jackson family and threatening to get a place of his own.

According to The NY Post: Prince Jackson is taking a page out of his dad’s book — relatives say he’s being bad.
Some in the Jackson clan complain the King of Pop’s son is keeping late hours and ignoring the various requests of his grandma and guardian, Katherine.
Prince, 16, is now telling friends and family he wants out of the family mansion in Calabasas, Calif., and is seeking to move into his own pad.
He sounds like any teen — except he has his own money, a family insider says, an allowance of $66,000 a month.
“He’s a renegade kid. No holds barred,” a family member told The Post. “He’s up and out at all times of the night, and I’m concerned, and I think everyone around the situation has to be worried what could happen to this kid.”
Prince often exits the mansion without security and is regularly spotted by paparazzi with girlfriend and schoolmate Remi Alfalah, 17, a princess from a royal Kuwaiti family.
Prince and the princess (left) have been stopped for speeding by police, who once cited Prince for blazing around in his Ford pickup at more than 20 mph over the speed limit.
“No one can be sure what to expect next. He claims that his dad would have allowed this,” a family insider said. “The fact is, let’s be real, Michael kept them very low-profile. Hell, they wore masks, for God’s sake.”
Prince and siblings Paris and Blanket are heirs to Michael Jackson’s fortune, estimated at more than $1 billion. When the kids turn 30, they each receive one third of their share; by 40, they get it all.
Meanwhile, Prince has even hinted at marrying Remi just to get away from his relatives.



Ephren Taylor’s $11 Million Dollars Ponzi Scheme is not only linked to Eddie Long but to Joel Osteen Too?
Ephren (NOT Efrem) Taylor hopped scotched all over the country robbing dumb church people that were obeying their pastor’s that were well aware of the game. Micheal Winans, Jr. got fourteen years so there is not telling how long this sleaze bag for the same type of offense. However, every pastor that allowed Taylor to prey upon their congregations should also go to prison as well! Here is the details ABC is reporting below:
Ephren Taylor stepped up to the pulpit with the ease of preacher’s son, taking the microphone at the New Birth Baptist Church in Atlanta, where the powerful pastor Eddie Long was introducing him to the Sunday morning crowd.
“Everything he says is based on the word of God,” Long pledged to the members of his megachurch. But Taylor wasn’t a visiting minister.
He was a financial adviser, one who claimed to have made his first million in his 20s. And he promised he could do the same for his fellow Christians.

“We’re going to show you how to get wealth and use it for the building of his kingdom,” Taylor shouted to the congregation one morning in 2009. It was all part of what he called his “Building Wealth Tour,” which crisscrossed the country touting self-improvement, followed-up with private meetings with interested investors.
Some congregants from some of the most prominent mega-churches in the country, including New Birth Baptist Church and Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Texas, turned over their life savings to Taylor hoping to do good while doing well.
But the Securities and Exchange Commission said Taylor was actually peddling a Ponzi scheme that “swindled over $11 million, primarily from African-American churchgoers.” Earlier this year, the agency entered a judgment against Taylor, ordering him to pay more than $14 million, which included money owed to investors and interest and fees.
Taylor, 31, first gained national attention with a rags-to-riches story of growing up dirt poor in Blackwater, Miss., before developing a video game that he said turned him into a teenage millionaire.

In a 2007 interview with ABC News, when asked how much he was worth, Taylor ventured what he said was a guess.
“Ballpark? Maybe $20 million on a bad day,” he said.
His personal history, coupled with what he claimed was a philosophy of “socially conscious investing,” made him popular with church congregations.
“He quoted scriptures,” said Lillian Wells, who met privately with Taylor in 2009 after hearing him speak at New Birth.
Wells said Taylor convinced her to invest her entire life savings in a North Carolina-based real estate venture, which he claimed was turning around homes in inner cities. In exchange, she was promised a 20 percent return on her money.
But, Wells said, when she wanted to recoup her initial investment, Taylor disappeared.
“I couldn’t get a hold of anybody,” Wells said. “You just can’t get them. That’s it. You just couldn’t get anybody.”
Wells said she was forced to file for bankruptcy last September. She said she’s not sure if she will ever get her money back, but she wants to see Taylor held accountable.
“We’re suffering because of what he did. It needs to be stopped,” she said.
Lisa Conway became suspicious of Taylor after she went to work for him in 2010. At first, she was excited to sell another type of investment City Capital was pitching, but soon she said she began to suspect the business was not on the up and up.
“I wanted to believe the answers were legit when we had the meetings,” she said. But “I would see things that weren’t appropriate.”
Conway said she started to think that the money coming in was lining Taylor’s pockets, and according to government officials, she was right. The SEC claimed Taylor spent his investors’ money on his car payments, credit card bills and rent on a New York City apartment.
The SEC also alleged that he doled out cash to pay for studio time for the musical career of his wife, Meshelle, with the money that came pouring in. The couple even made a splashy music video starring Meshelle Taylor draped in white fur and diamonds. The name of the song? “Billionaire.”
Conway said investors soon started suspecting trouble as well, and panicked families began banging down the doors of the North Carolina office where she and Taylor worked.
“They put locks on the doors,” after one particularly angry client stormed in.
Taylor started to panic, Conway said, sensing that his house of cards was beginning to tumble.
“You could see him sweating,” she said. “You could see him coming in and trying to save the day or the moment that we’re in it, but it just looked shady.”
As the SEC complaint alleges, “simply, City Capital could not pay its bills.”
“Any investor who resisted was subjected to an endless cycle of unreturned phone calls and emails [and] empty promises of imminent action,” reads the complaint. “To the extent investors survived this gauntlet to still insist on repayment, any funds they received invariably came from new investor money.”
In April 2012, ABC News heard from an attorney representing Taylor, who said that Taylor is not in hiding, but has stayed out of the spotlight because of concerns for his safety. He continued that Taylor also unequivocally denies that he looted investor proceeds to fund an extravagant lifestyle.
In Texas, Gary and Anita Dorio first met Taylor in Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church, and gave Taylor $1.3 million, their life savings and her mother’s retirement. And for about a year, they say it seemed like a good deal. At the beginning, Taylor was sending them monthly checks for $11,000.
“He asked us, you know, ‘What do you need? Give me a figure,’ and he made it happen,” said Gary Dorio.

The Dorios said the paperwork Taylor provided was very convincing. They thought they were investing in an inner city laundromat, a juice bar and a gas station.
“We actually got pictures of the businesses that they were operating,” said Gary Dorio. “We called, and they answered the phone and they said who they were.”
But ultimately, they discovered that many of the businesses they thought they were investing in never even existed. Lawyer Cathy Lerman said hundreds of investors have told her the same story.
“I cannot tell you how many people have said to me, I thought I was the only one. And my family was so angry with me. I took our life savings and ruined it,” she said.
In the end, the Dorios did walk away with a rental property in Cleveland, but it came with a catch: A $67,000 bill for back taxes on the property. The head office of the businesses Taylor listed in their documents was nothing more than a post office box inside a UPS store in Tennessee.
“Don’t be overcome by evil — by evil. But overcome evil with good,” said Anita Dorio, quoting a Biblical passage.
While the Dorios said they are still devout Christians, they have left Lakewood Church, the house of famous televangelist Joel Osteen, who, like many other pastors who let Taylor speak at their churches, preaches what’s known as the “prosperity” gospel.
Anita Dorio acknowledged that the church was careful not to explicitly endorse Taylor.
“Before the seminar began, a staff member did make the announcement, ‘We’re not endorsing this person. We’re not telling you to invest with him. We’re just here to listen to what he has to say.’”
Lakewood Church told ABC News they opened their doors to Taylor to speak on the subject of “Biblical financial principals,” but “when he began to promote his services as a financial advisor,” he “was stopped from doing so.”
The Dorios said while they don’t really want to blame church leadership and said they did warn them about Taylor after the alleged fraud was discovered. Anita Dorio said the response she received from the church was, “‘Oh Anita, how could you?’ Like I should have known better.”

At New Birth Baptist Church in Atlanta, Lillian Wells said she didn’t get much further when she spoke to her pastor, Bishop Eddie Long. He came in and said, ‘The church ain’t got no money,” she said.
In 2011, Long released a video pleading with Taylor to return the money.
The church told ABC News, “They do continue to hope the responsible parties will restore the funds they took from congregants at New Birth and churches around the country.”
Gary and Anita Dorio say they have forgiven Taylor and place their hopes for justice in God’s hands.
“It’s not the easiest thing to do, but we live by what the word of god says,” said Gary Dorio. “And we have to forgive Ephren. We have come to a place where we’ve forgiven him. We pray for him, his family.”
So where is Ephren Taylor exactly? ABC’s “The Lookout” received a tip to head over to Lenexa, Kan., specifically a shop called, Panacea Massage, to talk with Ephren Taylor and his wife.
After what they say were a string of bizarre incidents, workers at Panacea Massage became suspicious of one of their workers, a woman who called herself “Liz Taylor.” Salon workers said they noticed her husband would arrive with her at work almost daily. And they said the couple would talk about their lost fortune.
Once the salon installed security cameras for added protection, they said the husband became suspicious. Workers said he said, “Be careful what you say, ’cause there’s audio and there’s night vision.”
After this incident, workers looked at “Liz” Taylor’s license and noticed the name on her identification was Meshelle Taylor.

After about 30 minutes of Googling her name, salon owner Pam Dinges said, “a whole can of worms opened up,” and “the whole multi-million dollar scam thing all surfaced on the Internet. That’s how it all came together. … It was like, ‘Oh my God.’”
When the salon workers made the connection that Meshelle was Ephren Taylor’s wife, they emailed one ABC’s sources, who called “The Lookout.”
“The Lookout” team traveled to Kansas and found Ephren and Meshelle Taylor at an apartment complex, but they would not answer the team’s questions. Ephren Taylor told “The Lookout,” at one point, on camera, “I have no idea.”
When “The Lookout” requested a formal interview with Ephren Taylor, his attorney told the team, “I have no comment on the SEC charges pending against Mr. Taylor. In addition, neither Mr. Taylor nor any members of his family, including his wife, wish to comment on this matter at this juncture.” Thanks to Obnoxious TV for this!


Tracy McGrady announces retirement from NBA
McGrady made the announcement on ESPN’s First Take.

McGrady, 34, started last season playing in China then upon his return was picked up by the San Antonio Spurs and was a little-used reserve on the team that made a run to the NBA Finals. My guess is he may play again in China next season, but he says he is done with the NBA.
McGrady ends his Hall of Fame worthy career with an impressive resume — two-time NBA scoring champion, two-time All-NBA First Team, seven time All-Star

McGrady was the No. 9 pick of the Toronto Raptors back in 1997 directly out of Florida’s Auburndale high school. He and Vince Carter teamed up in Canada to make one of the more entertaining teams of the past couple decades. But McGrady burned a lot of bridges north of the border when he bolted for the Magic and signed a massive free agent contract.
McGrady’s best season likely came in Orlando, when in 2002-03 he averaged 32.1 points a game while carrying the Magic, using 35.2 percent of the team’s offense when he was on the court. He had a PER of 30.3 that season (for comparison, that would have been better than everyone in the NBA but LeBron James last five seasons).

There was a time when it was a legitimate debate as to who would have the better career, Kobe Bryant or McGrady. But McGrady started to have health issues and was never on a team he could lift out of the playoffs in the first round. When McGrady and Yao Ming teamed in in Houston it was thought they could form a contender, but both stars were betrayed by their bodies (while they had good role players around them but the team could not advance).

That said, McGrady should be in the Hall of Fame some day, one of the best of his generation and one of the games best pure scorers ever.


Are Catherine Zeta-Jones & Michael Douglas set to announce their divorce?
There are rumors within rumors about Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones these days. I’m sure you’ve seen some of the many blind items attributed to them and I’m sure you’ve seen a fraction of the tabloid stories about their marriage problems and maybe even their possible divorce. I don’t really know what to say… I mean, I’ll buy that their marriage is on the rocks. I’ll buy that they’ve both been through the ringer through the past few years with Michael’s cancer and Catherine’s mental illness. What could have brought them closer together seems to have only made things worse. Still, this current round of split rumors is not the first time we’ve heard this stuff, and in previous rounds, Michael and Catherine always denied the stories. Here’s the latest:

RUMOURS are circulating that enduring Hollywood couple Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones 13-year marriage is over.
The couple, who have not been photographed together for four months, are said to be living apart.
According to a source, “Michael is going to announce the split soon. Catherine is fighting to save the marriage but he’s had it.”
But another report said she was set to start a multi-million divorce battle.
Last week Douglas was pictured arriving in Sardinia by private jet but his wife was nowhere to be seen.
Reports of a marriage crisis between the high octane pair were denied earlier this year but Douglas’ spokesman was more cryptic in his response when questioned, stating: “I won’t talk about that.”

Zeta-Jones supported Douglas as he battled throat cancer in 2011, while he supported her through two stints in rehab as she sought treatment for bipolar disorder.
[From The Herald Sun]
As I said, it wouldn’t surprise me. I’m not going to say it’s for sure until People Magazine announces it, though. Michael and Catherine are old-school – they’ll go to People after they’ve worked out how they want to frame the split and then we won’t hear much about it because they’ll probably keep the information on lockdown. So… this is just an FYI. Considering their reps aren’t bothering to confirm anything, my prediction is that we’ll get a firm statement on this Soon.


Drake Sued By Stylist For Over $75,000
Drake, recently seen performing at the 2013 MTV VMAs, has rich rapper problems. A stylist formerly employed by the OVO MC is suing the Toronto native for over $75,000. The exorbitant amount is what Michael Raphael claims he is owed for work in the month of December 2012.
Reports TMZ:
A stylist formerly employed by the rapper has filed a lawsuit against Drake, claiming Drake owes him $76,490 as of December 2012 ... including consulting services, hotel bills, plane tickets, and endless shopping expenses.
The stylist Michael Raphael says Drake hired him in August 2012 for consulting services at a monthly rate of $39,583 -- services that include styling, clothing and graphic design for Drake's company OVO, brand direction, photography, etc.

According to the lawsuit, the wages do NOT cover the exorbitant expenses Raphael also incurred on Drake's behalf -- dropping stacks at stores like Nike, Diesel, American Rag, and countless boutiques ... plus insane travel expenses (SLS hotel, anyone?).
Raphael even includes a bunch of receipts to show just how much he spent -- one Nike receipt was for $1,162, one for Diesel was $1,483, $714 at American Rag, and that's just the tip of the iceberg.
Raphael claims Drake faithfully paid his bills from August to November last year, but suddenly stopped paying in December -- a month where Raphael racked up nearly $40,000 in shopping and other expenses on top of his monthly salary ... for a total of $76,490.
Hold up. Drake, who most brands would love to have in their clothes for the free marketing and promotion, was dropping this much coin on a stylist? The "Started From The Bottom" rapper was even buying his own Nikes?
Seems like Drizzy smartened up. Just saying.



Fat Joe Checks In To Prison
Fat Joe has turned himself in to federal prison. Joe Crack was hit with a four-month sentence for tax evasion earlier this year and surrendered to authorities in Florida Monday
The Bronx rapper is now in custody at the Federal Detention Center in Miami, reports TMZ. Born Joseph Cartagena, Joe plead guilty to tax evasion in December 2012. In an extensive interview with Power 105.1, he revealed that he actually informed the IRS of the tax issues, which were caused by a suspect accountant. Despite paying in full all the money he owed the government (over $1 million), and their acknowledgement that the accountant was at fault, back in June the Terror Squad rapper was still sentenced to serve four months.
The "Lean Back" rapper was facing as much as two years in prison, but instead was hit with the four month sentence, a $15,000 fine and one-year of supervised release.
On Sunday, Joe dropped a new mixtape called The Darkside 3.



Monica & Shannon Brown Throw A Pink & Ponies Baby Shower At Jermaine Dupri's House
It's Monica & Shannon's Brown very first child together (Monica has 2 sons and Shannon has 1).  And it's the first girl for both.  So the couple went all out with a fab baby shower at Jermaine Durpri's Atlanta home.
Mo's cousin Ludacris posted a pic of the twosome.  And she's indeed glowing.  Cute!
Pink was everywhere around the grounds and horses and ponies were also front and center...decked out in pink.
Apparently the Browns were trying to do an adult only party--no kids and no cameras.

The twosome are expecting their baby girl. And reportedly, she will be named Laiyah.  The name was supposedly given by good friend Tameka "Tiny" Harris.  How sweet...



LATE SIPS: Anthony Hamilton Arrested For DWI
Anthony Hamilton was arrested for allegedly driving under the influence early Sunday morning, reports WCC. The singer was taken into custody after a North Carolina Highway Patrol trooper stopped him for speeding. He suspected of being under the influence and arrest around 2:30 a.m.

He has since been released from police custody.


The Popular Grills are linked to Oral Disesase?
Some people can walk into a room and smile and it seems like the whole room lights up, it might be because they’re wearing a platinum diamond encrusted mouthpiece better known as a grill. A grill is a piece of jewelry that is made specifically to fit your teeth. In the Hip Hop culture this piece of jewelry is as common as a pair of shoes…EVERYBODY HAS THEM. With your favorite artists wearing them, you too might want to jump in on the trend. However, with fans running out to their nearest jewelers to purchase the new jewelry you often find that instead of going with the higher quality grills that can range from $1, 028.00- $5, 500.00. Fans opt out to the lower quality grills that start around $700. (According to Johnny Dang and Paul Wall Grill website).
Dentists have come to the conclusion that grills can cause serious dental issues if not fitted correctly. Ill fitted grills can lead to various dental problems such as the wearing away of tooth enamel, tooth decay, gum disease and other infections according to Dr. Lance Knight who is a very popular dentist among the stars. Just like when you go to your dentist to get bridges and crowns and other procedures done you know that when done correctly you can expect that there will be no problems because it was done by a professional, someone who studied and trained to do their specific job. 
Badly fitted grills can even lead to teeth movement that will later cause you to have to get braces to re-align the teeth placing them in their proper position. To avoid any of these things happening dentists recommend that if you were to get a grill please go to your dentist to get a mold of your teeth, something that the jeweler will need to make sure the grill is properly fitted to your teeth.



The Celebs came out to CELEBRATE VIBE'S 20th ANNIVERSARY In NYC
In addition to celebrating their 20th Anniversary with standout cover photos of Robin Thicke and Janelle Monae, and a few swanky day-to-night events in Las Vegas with La La Anthony, Juicy J and Talib Kweli, VIBE Magazine took their party to NYC last week. Taking over the famed NYC hotspot Bungalow 8,
The party was sponsored by MONSTOR Headphones and the company CEO, Noel Lee, arrived on a motorized scooter with gold rims!  He posed with rapper Swizz Beatz.   Swizz is a co-owner of the company and on their advisory board.
Singer Luke James, who's been on tour with Beyonce, was spotted at the party.
Hitmaking producer Sean Garrett was there.
Reality tv personality Po Johnson smiled for the cameras.
DJ D-Nice helped keep the crowd moving.
Questlove also stepped behind the 1s and 2s to spin a few hits.
DJ Scratch also joined the fellas in the DJ booth.
"Single Ladies" co-star Cassandra Freeman hit the party.  And she'll be returning as "Morgan" when season 3 kicks off soon.
DJ Cassidy rocked a pair of white summer shorts.
DJ Irie also took a turn in the DJ booth.
Singer JoJo posed for the cameras too.
VIBE's Editor-In-Chief Jermaine Hall posed with rapper ASAP Ferg.
Executive editor Datwon Thomas (far left) also celebrated the mag's 20th anniversary with Jermaine.
And VIBE's Keith murphy, and friends Jayson Rodriguez & Shaheem Reid were all there to party it up.
Tyson, Noel, Swizz and ASAP Ferg all dished about MONSTOR'S latest products.



And everybody got lit on Smoke Vodka Liqueur.
Happy 20th anniversary VIBE!



AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
‘OBEY YOUR THIRST’
Funny how it seems that as soon as you lose self-respect you gain belly shirts. Odd how it works out like that.



HAVE A GREAT DAY!!!
EFREM